Harpers to Open Second Shop in Renovated Nittany Lion Inn

Two longtime staples in the State College community are teaming up starting this fall.

Downtown clothier Harpers will operate a smaller, second location inside the renovated Nittany Lion Inn when it reopens for guest stays in September, according to a news release on Wednesday.

“We are proud to be part of the revitalized Nittany Lion Inn,” Brian Cohen, third-generation owner of Harpers, said in a statement. “It feels like a natural partnership.”  

Harpers has specialized in fine clothing for nearly a century in State College. Today at its multi-level store on East College Avenue, it offers men’s and women’s apparel such as suits, sport shirts, dresses and jewelry, as well as high-end Penn State clothing and accessories from brands like Peter Millar, Vineyard Vines, Johnnie-O and Tommy Bahama.

The new secondary shop will bring Harpers’ specialty store traditions to the guests of the Nittany Lion Inn.

“The new Harpers will cater to visitors seeking unique Penn State pieces and classic fashions as well as exclusive Nittany Lion Inn branded apparel including hats, polos and quarter zips,” according to the release.

Harpers traces its roots to 1926, when both Jack Harper’s and Young Men’s Shop opened. The two stores merged in 2000, and in 2017 Harpers moved from its longtime home at 114 W. College Ave. to its current location 224 E. College Ave., where it doubled in size and added a women’s boutique.

The Nittany Lion, which opened its doors in 1931 at 200 W. Park Ave., has been closed to the public since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was temporarily used as student housing, and in 2022 Penn State sold it and the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center to Scholar Hotel Group. Penn State retains ownership of the land, with Scholar holding a long-term ground lease.

Scholar Hotel Group has undertaken extensive renovations of the Inn since 2023. The company — which in State College also owns Scholar Hotel, Hyatt Place, Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn — announced in February that it would reopen for guest stays starting Sept. 2.

In addition to the Harpers shop, the renovated Nittany Lion Inn is slated to include Lionne restaurant, 1855 Lounge cocktail bar, Triplett’s bar and casual dining eatery Dear Joe: Cafe and Bakery, as well as meeting and banquet spaces.